Drought in Worth County, MO: 3.1 years in 10 since 2000

3.1 years in 10

Worth County, MO: 8 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (36 wk), 2002 (16 wk), 2003 (47 wk), 2004 (20 wk), 2006 (27 wk), 2012 (24 wk), 2013 (42 wk) and 2018 (20 wk). Not a single drought week in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2025.

Keep a lawn, but switch to drought-tolerant grass

Dry years come often enough to kill a thirsty lawn every few summers. Keep the lawn, reseed with a drought-tolerant mix, and put the beds on drip.

If you reseed, use a drought-tolerant mix and do it well clear of Mar, the month drought is most common here. Put beds on drip before the next dry year.

Against the rest of MO

53rd most drought-prone of 115 MO counties; the MO middle is 3.1 in 10. Closest on the list: Livingston County (3.1 in 10) and Caldwell County (3.1 in 10). Driest in MO: Jasper County (4.6 in 10). Least drought: Perry County (1.2 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Mar (25% of weeks), then Apr (23%) and Jan (23%). Least in Jun (14%). May to September averages 17%.

23 Jan
22 Feb
25 Mar
23 Apr
16 May
14 Jun
17 Jul
20 Aug
16 Sep
19 Oct
21 Nov
22 Dec

The worst year: 2003

2003: 47 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 19.8% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 8.9% at D2, 2.7% at D3, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 44 weeks, Jul 22, 2003 to May 18, 2004.

Lately

Last drought year: 2018, 20 weeks. 2016-2025: 1 in 10, against 4.4 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 5 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.